Enter the Neuromancer

Story by Raal Steelfang on SoFurry

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Oh boy did this take some doing! I've been working on this one for a while, and all in all I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. This might be a one-off for now, but depending on the reception this gets I have a series mostly planned out, so the title of this thing might change later on and have a 'chapter 1' in front. I usually wear my influences on my sleeve quite a bit already, but never like what I have planned for this. There's quite a bit of D&D, which I've been playing for about 15 years now, though that'll really be more clear in the next chapter. Lord of the Rings and A Song of Fire and Ice are pretty obvious inspirations for this too (M'rek being a tiered, vertical city is basically my version of Minas Tirith and King's Landing, respectively). I've also thrown in my love of Harryhausen Sinbad movies ('The 7th Voyage Sinbad,' 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad,' and 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger') and Italian sword-and-sandals flicks from the '60s (most notably Mario Bava's 'Hercules and the Haunted World'). So, I hope y'all enjoy this one, cause a lot more is coming, just don't know when.


"I'm gonna kill that fuckin' traitor," Jakka muttered under his breath as he raced through the thick underbrush, the clanking armor and weaponry of Rienhardt's personal guards filling his ears.

Growing up an orphan on the rough lower streets of the multi-tiered city of M'rek, the wolf had to learn quickly how to take care of himself, something he'd found he was quite good at as he slowly became the greatest thief the capital city of Mutana had ever seen. However, despite developing a reputation for being uncatchable and an ability to lift just about anything, he forgot his own cardinal rule; Always trust your instinct! His instincts told him the proposal given to him by a contact he thought he could trust was far too good to be true, but a jeweled and gilded scepter, practically unguarded and hidden in plain sight, that was worth quadruple it's weight in gold was simply to tempting to pass up.

Of course upon breaking into the white marble temple near the top of the city there was not only no scepters whatsoever to speak of, but an entire platoon of the high priest Reinhardt's private attache --highly trained former soldiers entirely devoted to the powerful tiger-- waiting for him. He'd been set up! His legendary robberies and exploits had made him many enemies; and not just those he stole from, but other thieves jealous of his ability and status, so it would be almost impossible to find out who'd feed him the false report.

Not that he had much time to think about it at the moment, of course. After barely making it out of the religious building via a daring rooftop escape he'd decided perhaps it would be best if he found his way outside the massive walls that separated the capital from the rest of the world. He'd stopped by his home, a nondescript, modest building tucked away deep in one of the lower tiers, grabbed a pre-packed haversack he always had ready in case of something like this, and took his leave of his home.

Mutana was a region of mountains, temperate forests, and ocean, and M'rek was built on the coast sandwiched between the Bahr Sea and the Jabal Mountain range. Jakka had considered paying a boat to take him south, perhaps to the more desert and dune landscape of the country of Ahmar, but instead chose to throw some coins to a merchant caravan that was heading east into the Jabal foothills. He parted ways from them 20 miles on and took a northern direction through more foothills, towards the city of Aramha, a place he had a few friends and fewer people who wanted him dead, and that's we he first began to have problems.

The black-furred wolf, perfectly suited for city life, wasn't really built for the wilderness. He was plagued by an inability to make a fire, and had no hunting skills to speak of, so he was forced to start in on his meager prepacked rations much earlier than he'd hoped. However, both of those paled in comparison to the main problem; the tiger priest, apparently highly offended a lowly thief would attempt to steal from him, had NOT stopped his search at the city walls but had sent his minions out into the countryside looking for him! He'd been on the run from the guards all day and into the night, and while he still hadn't actually sighted them, he could hear them, meaning they were very close on his tail.

He skidded to a stop and dashed behind a rocky outcropping in a narrow part of the canyon, desperately trying to push himself as far out of sight as possible as he caught his breath. Things were looking grim for him, he could hear individual voices now and the metallic clanking of their accouterments were like thunder. He drew his twin daggers from their unusual horizontal sheaths crossing his lower back and had just readied himself in a fighting stance --he'd heard plenty of ghastly tales about how Reinhardt dealt with those who crossed him and he had no intention of being brought back alive if it came to that-- when he felt something odd. Instead of bumping against solid rock, the heel of his booted paw seemed to sink into the mountain!

He looked hard at the area and realized he wasn't looking at rock at all, but an extremely convincing woven cloth, matching the color and subtle variations of the surrounding rock perfectly, covering the entrance to a cave! He didn't have time to think about what kind of creature could've made such a thing or might be hiding just inside. He darted inside the dark space, and just in time too as he heard a gruff voice shout from seemingly just the other side of his thin covering.

"No flaggin' now, lads, 'e can't be far ahead!"

Jakka held his breath as he listened to the clatter of the soldiers receding further up the path, finally letting it out in a hearty sigh as the noise fully left his earshot. He turned away from the opening to face the long rock passage behind him leading further into the mountainside. His sharp eyes could detect a soft glow coming from the gently down-sloping path. He shrugged his shoulders and, needing a place to hide out for a short while anyway, began walking, his soft leather boots making muffled thumps as he descended.

The black-furred wolf's bafflement over the cleverly-constructed disguise over the entrance to the cave only grew as he walked. He was startled to find the soft blue glow he'd seen seemed to be from some kind of phosphorescent mushroom that grew in small clusters every 10 feet or so along the sides of the path, and despite knowing full well he'd been going steadily downward, the air seemed to be growing warmer as opposed to colder as it should. In fact, it was growing so warm he was starting to feel sweat trickle down his back.

It was impossible to tell how far or how long he'd been walking in the eternal hazy twilight of the passage. The only way he was able to tell he was making any sort of progress at all was the sound of pounding water --surely an underground waterfall-- growing louder as he followed the one path ever down. He noted with relief the passageway, at the widest only about five feet wide or so, seemed to be widening, and the sound much louder. Finally he spied the end of the tunnel, which seemed to empty out directly to a brightly lit --well, brightly lit for someone who'd only had the light of mushrooms to go by for hours, anyway-- large cavern! He resisted the urge to dash towards it, his poor paws far to exhausted and pained for that kind of thing, keeping the same pace he had been. However, all forward motion ceased as he came to the end of the line, and his breath was taken away by the sight which lay before him.

It was quite warm in the stony chamber, and a light mist hung in the air, though it wasn't think enough to trouble his vision. The walls of the cavern were studded with glowing crystals, which appeared to be lit from inside somehow by an aquamarine light, travelling all the way up to the lofty ceiling. The top of the mammoth room itself was covered with a multitude of the same crystals, though these were pure white, causing it to resemble the star-studded night sky. A waterfall, the one he must've heard in the tunnel, cascaded down from a large hole roughly halfway up the wall on the opposite side, and collected in a large pool that streamed out down another shaft to his right. Despite the lack of sunlight clusters of aubergine ferns grew everywhere both on the ground and up in cracks up the walls.

He could barely believe what he was seeing, his sharp amber eyes taking in every stunning detail as he slowly walked to the edge of the pool for a drink. If he wasn't curious about the strange cloth covering the entrance to this enchanting place, he was certainly above and beyond interested now! Who else knew of this place? Why were they hiding it? Were they here now? It seemed his questions were about to by answered, as just as he set down his haversack was kneeling to sip from the pool a booming voice rattled through the cave like thunder!

"Who are you, what do you want with this place," the voice said, as hard and unforgiving as the very rock all around.

The black-furred wolf jumped to his feet, pulling his daggers, eyes darting about in search of anything that might try to sneak up on him in the warm mist.

"I want nothing more than temporary shelter, and who I am ain't none of your concern" Jakka cried back.

"Show yourself!"

"Throw down thy weapons, and I shall reveal myself!"

"I believe I'll keep 'em if ya don't mind," he said, never being one who took well to commands.

"Fine, if thou won't submit, I shall just have to make you!"

Jakka's eyes went wide as familiar sensations washed over his body. Before his tenure as master thief, when he was just a young lupine doing what he had to to survive the rough lower tier of M'rek, there were times he'd had to perform certain...services for some of the mid-tier merchants and other men of status. One such man, a spice trader, had some exotic tastes as far as sex and fetish went, and the wolf was his favorite when it came to one specific activity. The wolf, tough as he was, was excruciatingly ticklish, and THAT was the very sensation that coursed through his lithe body!

His daggers went flying from his hands, clattering loudly across the stone ground, as his arms clamped down instinctively to his sides to protect himself --for the life of him it felt like a dozen merciless fingers were probing his sweating armpits-- but they did nothing to dull the sensations. His knees buckled and he crashed to the ground, rolling about, laughing like a madman, as more phantom fingers prodded his belly, danced down his ribcage, and skittered across the soles of his broad paws!

He had no idea what sort of deviltry this was, and he really didn't have time to worry over it. He knew his constitution was flagging --the days of walking with very little food had seen to its weakening already-- and it was only a matter of time before he would slip into black unconsciousness if he didn't do something to stop this. He had no choice, he'd have to swallow his pride and do something he hated more than anything else in the world.

"PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE STAAAHAHAHAHAP, NOHOHO MOHOHOHORE," he begged through his shrieking laughter, so tired he couldn't even roll about on the hard ground anymore, simply laying there, occasionally twitching.

"Very well," boomed the voice, and, mercifully, the sensations stopped all at once.

The wolf could do nothing but lay there, panting heavily, soaked in sweat and eyes shut tight. He rolled over onto his belly and up onto his hands and knees. He found he didn't have the strength to stand, so he had no choice but to crawl, humiliated, over to the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The water was, much like the air of the cave, very warm, but he didn't care, any water was good enough after laughing yourself almost hoarse. His head darted over as a hand fell onto his shoulder, finally getting a look at the mysterious individual responsible for all the wonders he'd seen so far. To say he was shocked was an understatement!

He never thought he'd see one in his lifetime given their incredible rarity, but he was looking up at a real, live dragon! Though, he had to admit, the reptilian creature hardly resembled the descriptions in the tales he'd heard. His scales were two different colors, predominately turquoise blue over his head, back, arms, and legs while his chin, chest and belly were a lavender color, and they had a shimmering pearlescent quality. He had spikes on his back up to his head like the stories, but they were rounded and short, and he was surprisingly chubby. All that combined with his soft facial features, he really didn't look at all like the ferocious wyvren of the old stories. Quite the opposite, he actually looked quite cuddly and, well, cute!

"Please, allow me to help you," he said, his voice no longer booming but as calm and serene as the expression on face. The wolf, still weak, allowed the colorful dragon to haul his to his feet. "Let's try this in a more civilized way. I am called Sofos," he said, executing a quick bow.

"Jakka," he replied, still wary of this strange creature and his abilities. "How did you do....that?"

"That? Oh, you mean the tickling?"

Jakka cringed slightly at the word, nodding his head 'yes.'

"I am a student of various forms of magick, that was simply a bit of neuromancy."

"Neuromancy, what's that?"

"In its simplest terms, I essentially can control the nerves in your body and make you feel anything I wish, whether it be the heat of a flame, the cold of ice, or the stab of a blade. However, I abhor the inflicting of pain, and I've found that particular sensation very useful in the disarming and cowing of any intruder. But enough of that for now, I can see you are fatigued and hungry. Please, follow me."

The wolf was lead to a small entrance to the left of the waterfall, which had previously been blocked from his view by the swirling mists. After a short walk the tunnel, resembling the one he'd entered the cave through in both size and the proliferation of glowing mushrooms, opened up into a far smaller cavern, clearly where the dragon made his lair. A black cauldron, filled with some kind of stew emitting a delicious aroma into the surrounding air, bubbled away over a crackling fire, the smoke of which drifted up and out a small ventilation shaft at the top. The rest of the area was taken up by a table, upon which sat multiple bottles of potions in every color and hue imaginable, a large bed of soft moss and the same deep purple fern leaves he'd seen in the main chamber, two overstuffed armchairs of rich red velvet, and shelves stuffed with ancient mystical texts lining every wall.

He was bade to sit in one of the chairs, which was by far the most comfortable seat the thief had held since leaving the city, and allowed his guard to lower as the dragon went about serving him. He was handed a deep wooden bowl filled to the brim with the bubbling, thick, brown concoction from the cauldron and a mug carved from a light pink crystal containing a pale yellow drink of some kind. The delicious stew was made up primarily of mushrooms and potatoes, and the drink was a wonderfully refreshing pear ale.

As Jakka ate his bowl of stew, promptly followed by a second and third, he and Sofos talked about themselves. Jakka told him how he came to be hunted through the foothills --or as much as he felt the dragon needed to know-- and the magical creature explained how he'd discovered this underground grotto after escaping his former captor who'd kept him in chains as a display of his power and ferociousness as a tribe leader. The thief had heard one of the reasons dragons were so rare in current times was due to being hunted by war chieftains and the like to prove their superiority, which lead to many being killed off or dying in captivity. The wolf's heart went out to the lonely creature.

"Have you had enough?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, thank ya, it was fantastic," Jakka said with a start, realizing his mind had began to wander.

"My pleasure," the dragon replied, taking the bowl from his outstretched hand. "Would you perhaps care for a bath? I mean you no offense, but I was able to smell you when you entered my cave before anything else.

The wolf's face blushed crimson under his black fur. Since lifting himself out of the muck of his beginnings he'd prided himself on his cleanliness, but when one was on the run for one's life some things did unfortunately have to fall to the wayside.

"I'd appreciate it, if'n it ain't to much ta ask," he said.

Sofos led the black-furred wolf back out into the cathedral-like central chamber, then down another of the cave system's passageways. A small tributary of the thundering waterfall meandered along side them, though a narrow natural walkway along the side of the tunnel allowed them to stay dry. They came out in a small chamber. The water, steaming, pooled there, taking up roughly 3/4 of the ground. The rest of the floor was piled high with more of the fragrant moss that made up the dragon's bed in his living quarters.

Jakka unlaced his deep purple jerkin with his nimble ringed fingers, letting the leather covering fall to the ground and exposing his lithe, sinewy torso. A tattoo of a bat clutching a heart adorned his sternum, accented by the small silver idol of Furari --the demigod of thieves and rogues-- hanging right between his pecs from a leather throng around his neck. His black, soft-soled boots came next, unveiling his broad paws; his thick toes wiggled against the stone of the ground. His broad belt hit the ground with a flap and a clank. He was in the process of unlacing his black/white striped leggings when he realized the dragon hadn't left him like he'd thought he would. Instead he was standing close by, arms crossed, eyeing him.

"Are...ya plannin' on stayin'?"

"I'm sorry," the turquoise and lilac dragon said, "am I making you uncomfortable?"

"A tad."

"Is it because I'm clothed? Please, allow me to correct myself."

Before the wolf could say or do anything Sofos untied the cream-colored cord he used as a belt and his seafoam green robe opened, giving him a full view of his ponderous light purple tummy and chest. It also revealed the robe was the dragon's only clothing, a set of heavy balls topped by a thick, erect golden cock now on display, leaving Jakka gasping, his eyes wide. A golden medallion, set with a jade green stone in the center, shimmered softly in the low light. He licked his lips lustfully as the pastel fabric pooled around the dragon's chubby, scaly feet.

"Better," asked the dragon, a smirk on his muzzle.

Jakka nodded. He hastily finished the task of unlacing and kicking off his leggings, exposing his own erection, his cock a vibrant red against his black fur like a polished ruby against velvet. They walked the short distance to the small underground grotto together and entered the water, the wolf gasping softly at the heat as he went deeper in. They descended to the deepest part of the pool, which came up to roughly chest height for the two men, where the dragon produced a bar of goat's-milk soap the thief couldn't seem to recall him having.

"Shall I assist you in washing," Sofos asked, that smirk and slight eyebrow twitch still present.

"I'd apprec'ate tha help," he answered.

The dragon worked the soap into a fine, sweet smelling lather and started at the wolf's shoulders, working into his tired muscles. Jakka moaned, his eyes closed, as he went further down to his chest, using the washing as a pretense for gently playing with his perked nipples gently between his pudgy blue fingers. The wolf, however, needed no pretense for his desires; his arms wrapped around the chubby dragon, reaching down to squeeze and knead his ample asscheeks and pulled him closer until their muzzles met in a wet kiss.

The bar of soap trailed a sudsy path through the water as it dropped from Sofos' hand, his mind occupied by more pressing matters. Their tongues explored each other's mouths, their swollen members grinding together between their bodies. The dragon broke off the kiss and tilted his spiky head in the direction of the shore and the bed of moss. Jakka needed no second bidding; they waded quickly through the lightly steaming spring water and flopped onto the surprisingly cushy pile of sweet mosses and fern leaves before continuing their make out session.

The magic dragon gently pushed Jakka onto his back and straddled him across his middle, nibbling at the wolf's black-furred neck. The thief had always loved the feeling of a chubby, pudgy guy on top of him, finding the enveloping pressure incredibly arousing, and this was certainly no different. Sofos moved the wolf's sinewy arms from their former position --wrapped around his wide, turquoise frame-- and held them down against the ground by the wrist up above his head. Jakka didn't mind that, in fact he quite liked being held down. What he did mind, however, was the fact that once the dragon removed his own hands he still couldn't move them!

He was even more alarmed when the dragon rolled off of him and he was suddenly unable to move at all! His wrists, ankles and waist were completely immobile as though he were manacled to the spot, his struggles in vain. He looked over to the mystical being, about to demand to know what the meaning of this was, when his captor began speaking anyway.

"Please, stay calm and allow me to explain myself. You see, although I am a scholar, and generally fond of being alone, there are times when I crave contact from another. You've shown me already you seem to perfectly understand that and are willing to indulge me in that respect, though in complete honesty there's another type of touch I crave."

"Go on," the wolf said cautiously.

"Well, earlier, when I used my neuromancy on you, I wasn't completely truthful with why I chose to incapacitate you that way. You see, I...enjoy tickling other males!"

The wolf could almost laugh seeing the embarrassed blush spreading across the dragon's turquoise face from admitting his pleasure.

"Would you be willing to, perhaps, indulge me further?"

Jakka thought about it for only a few moments; after all, considering all the kindness and hospitality he'd been been shown, it would be the least he could do.

"Jus' take it easy on me, Sofos."

The chubby, naked dragon smiled wide, planting a kiss on the wolf's chest before narrowing his eyes to slits and chanting something in a language completely alien to the thief, though their meanings became perfectly clear as the sensation of claws skittering about in the hollows of his sweating armpits overtook him! Jakka immediately threw his head back and howled laughter; he hadn't taken into account just how much more sensitive the hot water of the underground spring would make him, and it was a mistake that was already threatening to drive him out of his mind despite the short length of time.

Sofos, on the other hand, was greatly enjoying himself, precum dribbling from the tip of his gilded cockhead moistening the moss under him as he watched with growing lust the lithe thief thrash and howl pitifully. He even took a somewhat sadistic glee in the tears already starting to make tracks through the wolf's black face fur. He took even more glee, however, in the wolf's cock, still completely erect despite his ticklish suffering. He reached over and gently ran a finger up and down the underside of the Jakka's bright red shaft slowly.

"It seems I, perhaps, am not the only one enjoying this!"

The wolf wanted to respond to the accusation, but any attempt at articulating anything more complicated than a string of obscenities and unintelligible sounds were cut off due to the sudden addition of more phantom claws lightly raking up and down his ribcage. And once his rebelling nerves reacted as though hands were suddenly prodding and kneading his tummy and flanks, even the ability to curse dried up and he was left with nothing but desperate howls! For what felt like hours he laughed and laughed, his entire torso awash in ticklish agony, his needy cock on fire from the gentle teasing of a finger, until eventually he could no longer even laugh out loud anymore. He'd reached the type of post verbal laughter only represented by gasps and the heaving of his chest and belly.

He could feel himself slipping towards the cliff of unconsciousness when all at once everything stopped. The wolf, limbs still immobile as if bound, shivered and convulsed as though the tormenting sensations were still there on the ground for quite some time before he finally laid still. His eyes were squeezed shut, his tongue lolling out the side of his open gasping maw as he tried to slow his still-pounding heart. His eyes opened slowly as a hand landed gently on the side of his face. Sofos was next to him, holding a beaker of some light pink liquid.

"I must apologize," he said, "I momentarily lost control of myself. It won't happen again."

He pressed the rim of the container to the wolf's lips. "Drink."

Jakka, in no state to argue, pursed his lips and allowed the shimmering dragon to pour the liquid down his raw throat in a thin trickle. It was sweet, and oddly fruity and musky at the same time, like a passion fruit. Eventually he managed to drain the entire beaker, and it wasn't until then he noticed it's effects. He suddenly felt great, as though the torture he'd just endured had never even happened! He felt as though he could climb a mountain, swim an ocean, or --and here he knew was the true reason why his unusual host had actually given him this particular potion-- suffer through countless more hours of tickle torture!

In a matter of moments the last drop of the stamina-restorative liquid trickled down the wolf's throat, and Sofos once again began his chant, initiating round two. Cute, high-pitched giggles dribbled forth from between Jakka's lips as the sensation of a soft, fluffy feather making contact with the arch of his left foot traveled the length of his body to his brain. His giggles progressed to full-fledged laughter as a second plume mirrored the actions of its counterpart on his other tender, broad sole. They trekked from his heels to the base of his wiggling toes, then made a zigzag pattern all the way back down, tickling the poor lupine enough that he would occasionally throw his head to one side or the other to laugh into the crook of his shoulders, but not enough that he was bucking and struggling like he was previously.

Sofos, bored with just using his magic, raised himself up on his knees and straddled the captive wolf's waist. He ran his hands all over Jakka's trembling chest and flat belly, loving the soft, luxurious feeling of his silky fur. He picked up two of the dark purple fern fronds that comprised his bedding material and used them on the thief's nipples, closing his eyes and drinking in the increased laughter and the subtle moans they drew from him as they flicked and fluttered over the hardened nubs. With another ancient word from his scaly lips he added another deceptively soft feather to tease and torment the struggling mammal's shaft, balls, and cockhead, just for good measure.

Jakka's mind felt as though it were encased in cotton, no thought left in his head as his body burned. The feathery stokes on his feet, cock, and nipples, while far more enjoyable than what the dragon had done the first go around, were still torturous to his sensitive body. Especially as the sensations centered on his helpless soles moved up to flick under and between his stout toes, forcing him to throw his head back and howl up to the roof of the cave. However, he did love the weight of the hefty dragon, and especially loved the way his ample bottom ground against his standing member.

As much as the shimmering, colorful dragon wanted this to never stop, after roughly an hour of the phantom feathering his magic was starting to flag, fatigue setting in. Plus, seeing as how he really couldn't use his powers of neurological manipulation on himself --one of the many seemingly arbitrary rules and limitations of the occult arts-- there was a need that had built and built inside of him to the point he felt like a dammed river threatening to overflow its banks. He wanted, needed, to get fucked, and he had something in mind for the remaining amount of his powers he knew the writhing wolf under him would greatly enjoy.

All at once the tingling sensations that'd dominated Jakka's body disappeared, and thanks to the potion given to him he recovered immediately. However, he was in no way prepared for what came next. It wasn't another round of intense, deep tickling like he was expecting, but something far more pleasant. He moaned deeply and loudly as he felt what seemed like many hands slowly massaging his soft, tormented hindpaws. At the same time, both his nipples and all 10 toes reacted as though they were being gently sucked and nibbled by the most talented of maws. What really made his emerald eyes roll back in his head, however, was the sudden pressure against his prostate!

The dragon reached behind him and cupped his hand around the head of Jakka's cock, catching some of the precum that flowed like wine from a leaking spigot in his hand. Once he judged he had enough he leaned forward and smeared the viscous clear liquid onto his needy tailhole. He readjusted his position, sliding down just a bit further, and slowly started to sit onto the wolf's bright red member, eliciting deeper moans from the bound thief and a pleasurable groan from his own mouth.

For a few moments Sofos just stayed perfectly still, allowing his internal muscles time to acclimate to having something there for the first time in years. He grabbed his own dripping cock and started to gently pump as he slid up and down on Jakka's pole. He knew his current lover must be close to orgasm due to the ceaseless teasing he'd just endured; he thought about using the last little bit of mana he felt he had left to dull the feeling in the bound wolf's cock so he could fuck longer, but that was a tad too sadistic for him.

The dragon got right down to it, grabbing his own cock in and pumping steadily, as he fucked himself upon the Jakka's upright member, rising up and down until he was practically bouncing on the poor wolf. The thief was no match for the phantom sensations on his broad paws, sensitive nipples, and prostate and the very real pressure around his mercilessly teased erection; his howl echoed all throughout the various arteries of the mountain's cave system as he unleashed days of pent up wolf seed. Sofos was pushed over the edge himself from the sudden heat he felt inside, spraying a load of slightly glowing cum all over the exhausted, sweat-soaked wolf under him.

Movement finally returned to the wolf's black-furred limbs as Sofos eased himself off the thief and onto the bed of moss and fern beside him, laying his crested head on his lover's chest. Despite his initial misgivings and reluctance, Jakka chuckled and wrapped an arm over the shimmering dragon's shoulder, pulling him closer. They would both need to reenter the steaming pool near them at some point to clean off, but it just didn't seem that important at the moment.

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Jakka stayed with the strange creature in that enchanting cave for the next two months. As much as he would've like to stay longer, however, he was a city wolf at heart and knew he could never be truly contented in such an isolated place. After many days under the mountain, the "victim" of his dragon host's sexual quirks, he emerged blinking into the sunlight, his pack restocked with drink, food, and some potions given to him by Sofos, and continued onward to his original destination of Aramha.

He didn't know what waited him there, but he had no doubt there was plenty more adventure --and treasures-- to be had!